Cutter guard



March 29, 1955 w. GAsKELL CUTTER GUARD Original Filed March 22, 194'?INVEN TOR.

vf @array/wrm.

/er Gas/fail Unitd States Patent CUTTER GUARD Walter L. Gaskell,Ypsilanti, Mich., assignor to King- Seeley Corporation, Ann Arbor,Mich., a corporation of Michigan Original appication March 22, 1947,Serial No. 736,560,

now Patent 2,619,997, dated December 2, 1952. Divided and thisapplication February 23, 1952, Serial No. 272,960

This invention relates to jointers and planets, hereinafter referred toas jointers for ease in description, and particularly to a type thereofthat is pre-eminently suited for use in the home work-shop although notrestricted to such limited use. This application is a division of mycopending application, Serial No. 736,560, tiled March 22, 1947 (nowPatent No. 2,619,997, issued December 2, 1952), entitled jointer andPlaner.

ln particular, the invention has among its objects the provision of ajointer having a novel form of cutter guard for that portion of thecutter on the operative side of the fence; the provision of a cutterguard for that portion of the cutter on the operative side of the fence;the provision of a cutter guard for a jointer as last describedincluding means for maintaining the cutter guard at a predeterminedheight with respect to the rear table of the jointer regardless of theadjusted height of the front table; the provision of a cutter guard fora jointer which is spring pressed toward operative position at all timesand so constructed and arranged as to permit instantaneous removal andreplacement.

Briefly, the invention accomplishes these and other objects by swivellymounting the cutter guard on the front table and, at the same time,vertically positioning it on the base of the jointer.

ln the accompanying drawings which illustrate suitable embodiments ofthe present invention and in which like numerals refer to like partsthroughout the several different views:

Figure 1 is a partly broken plan view of a jointer using the improvedcutter guard;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, partly broken vertical sectionalview taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l, and illustrating the means formounting the outer cutter guar Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional viewtaken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, partly sectioned plan view of amodified guard support; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, partly broken, vertical sectional view taken onthe line 6 6 of Fig. 5

The jointer and planer shown in the drawings is described andillustrated in greater detail in my copending application referred toabove. It has a base 20 on which is mounted a tixed (except foradjustments in assembly) rear table 24 and a vertically adjustable fronttable 26, the cutter assembly 28 fitting in the opening between theinner ends of the two tables and being journaled in suitable trunnionsprovided on the base 20. A fence 30 is mounted on the tables fortransverse movement. The table 26 is mounted on the base' 20 by means ofa pair of dove-tail or wedge assemblies, each of which include a lowermember 60 secured to the base 20 and an upper member 62 secured to thebottom of the table 26, the inclined faces of the members 60 and 62being in sliding contact with each other. Longitudinal movement of thetable 26 is actuated by a screw 94 which is journaled and axially iixedin the bore 92 formed in the base 20 and which projects through a hole96 in the wall of the base 20 beyond which it carries the hand-wheel 98.A nut 104 is threaded on the screw 94 and it is connected by a link 110to the upper member 62. Thus, rotation of the handwheel 98 will turn thescrew 94 so that the nut 104 moves axially to transmit force through thelink partly broken, form of cutter 2,705,034 Patented Mar. 29, 1955 tothe table 26 whereby the latter slides up or down on wedge members 60.

As in conventional constructions, a guard is provided in overlyingrelationship with respect to the cutter 28 on the operative side of thefence 30 and is automatically pushed out of the way as a piece of workis moved over the tables 24 and 26 in contact with the fence. Inaccordance with the invention, the guard is mounted in a novel manner sothat its lower face is maintained at a constant distance above thesurface of the rear table 24 regardless of the vertically adjustedposition of the front table 26. It is further constructed and arrangedso that it may be substantially instantaneously removed or reapplied tothe machine without the necessity of disconnecting any screws, springsor the like. This is accomplished in the following manner. The table 26at its lefthand side, as viewed from the operating end of the machine,and at a point located toward the front end of the machine from thecutter, is provided with a vertically disposed stepped opening bestbrought out in Fig. 4. A cylindrical plug 122 provided with an annularflange 124 at its upper end is complementarily rotatably received in theopening 120 as indicated in Fig. 3.. The plug 120 is provided with asquare axial bore or opening 126 in which a square shaft 128 isvertically freely slidably but non-rotatably received. The upper end ofthe shaft 128 has fixed thereto the cutter guard 130 which, asillustrated in Fig. 1, extends therefrom into normally overlyingrelationship with respect to the cutter 28 and is provided with arounded inner edge 132 which the work is adapted to engage when beingfed across the cutter, thereby to move the guard out of overlyingrelationship with respect to the cutter as the work is fed across thecutter.

A sheet metal arm 134 is secured by screws 136 to the lower face of theplug 122 below the corresponding face of the table 26. As illustrated inFig. l, a coil tension spring 138 is tensioned between the free end ofthe arm 134 and a part of the base 20 so as to constantly urge the arm134 and consequently the plug 122 and guard 130 in a clockwise directionof rotation as viewed in Fig. l. As best brought out in Fig. 3, the base20 immediately below the post 128 is provided with a surface 140 uponwhich the lower end of the post rests, thus to hold the lower face ofthe guard 30 vertically spaced from the upper face of the table 24 at apredetermined distance, and because the post 128 is vertically slidablein the plug 122, this last spacing will be maintained regardless of thevertically adjusted position of the table 26.

Means are preferably provided to prevent the guard 130 from swinging ina clockwise direction under the inuence of spring 138 beyond a positioncorresponding with a position of the fence 30 at its extreme right-handposition on the machine when viewed from the operating end thereof. Inthe case shown, this is accomplished by forming a notch or recess 142 inthe underside of the tlange 124, as brought out in Figs. 3 and 4. Asindicated in this latter figure, the notch 142 is of an angular extentof approximately 90 about the axis of the plug 122. A pin 144 issecured, as by a drive tit, in the shoulder formed between the steppedportions of the opening 120 and projects upwardly into the notch 142.When the guard 130 is in its eXtreme position of rotation in a clockwisedirection about the axis of the opening 120, the pin 144, as illustratedin Fig. 4, contacts one end of the notch 142 and limits further movementin this direction under the influence of the spring 138. By this means,the guard 130, when it is desired to remove it for any purpose whatever,is simply grasped by the hands and lifted vertically, withdrawing thepost 128 with it out of the plug 122.

The plug 122 will not be lifted when the post 128 and guard 130 arelifted inasmuch as the projecting portion of the arm 134 underlies thelower face of the associated portion of the table 26 and acts to holdthe plug 122 against vertical withdrawal, nor will the tension on thespring 138 be wholly relieved. When it is desired to replace the guard130 the lower end of the post 128 is reinserted into the opening 126 inthe proper rotatable position, and simply pressed downwardly until itslower end strikes the surface 140 at the base 20. To facilitate theassembly of the post 128 to the plug 122 when the fence 30 is in anyposition except its extreme right position, as viewed from the operatingend of the machine, the post 128 is preferably of such length that itslower end may be introduced into the bore 126 of the plug 122 when theguard 130 partially overlies the upper edge of the fence 30, and in suchcase as soon as this is done the guard may be swung in acounterclockwise direction until it clears the fence 30, and then bepushed downwardly to its normal operative position.

A modified form of the last described mounting for the guard 130 isshown in Figs. 5 and 6. In this case and, as brought out in Fig. 5, thetable 26 is similarly provided with a stepped opening 12001,corresponding with the opening 120 of the first described construction,and similarly receives a anged plug 122a, corresponding with the plug122 first described. The lower face of the flanged end of the plug 122ais notched out as at 142er the same as in the rst describedconstruction, and a pin 144a, corresponding to the pin 144 of the firstdescribed construction, is provided in the same cooperating relationshipwith respect thereto to limit the rotatable movement of the guard andthe plug 122g. Instead of using a tension spring to rotate the plug 122aas in the first described construction, in this case the lower end ofthe plug 122a projects downwardly below the associated lower face of thetable 26 where it is surrounded by a sheet metal sleeve 150 terminatingat its lower end in an outwardly turned flange 152. A torsion spring 154surrounds the sleeve 150 and, as brought out in Fig. 5, its upper freeend is turned into an eye 156 which receives a screw 158 and which inturn projects through the sleeve 150 and threads into the plug 12201 soas to anchor such free end of the spring to the plug 122a. The screw 158in projecting through the sleeve 150 also serves to lock the sleeve 150to the plug member 122a and in abutting against the overlying surface ofthe table 26 thus serves to lock the plug 12241 against verticalwithdrawal from the table 126 when the guard 130 and post 128 are raisedtherefrom. The remaining free end of the spring 154 is extended as at160, shown in Fig. 5, and bears against a side wall of the table 26 soas to maintain the spring 154 under a predetermined torsion thereby toconstantly urge the guard 130 in a clockwise direction of rotation asviewed in plan view. As in the first described case, the lower end ofthe post 128 is adapted to engage the base 20 so as to maintain theguard 130 at a constant spacing above the upper surface of the table 24,but in this case a sheet metal member 162, shown is secured to the table20 below the post 128 by means of a screw 164, and the lower end of thepost abuts the member 162 instead of directly abutting the base 20.

What is claimed is:

l. In a jointer or the like, in combination, a base, a cutter rotatablymounted on said base intermediate the ends thereof, a normally fixedtable supported by said base on one side of said cutter, a verticallyadjustable table supported on said base on the opposite side of saidcutter, means for bodily raising and lowering said second table, saidsecond table having a vertically directed opening therein, a memberrotatably mounted in said opening, spring means constantly urging saidmember in one direction of rotation, said member having an axial openingtherein, a post member axially slidably but non-rotatably received insaid axial opening, said post member extend ing through said member andthe bottom thereof resting on said base, and a guard fixed to the upperend of said post and normally urged into overlying relationship withrespect to said cutter by said spring means.

2. In a jointer or the like, in combination, a base, a cutter rotatablymounted on said base intermediate the ends thereof, a normally fixedtable supported by said base on one side of said cutter, a verticallyadjustable table supported on said base on the opposite side of saidcutter, means for bodily raising and lowering said second table, saidsecond table having a vertically directed openingl therein, a memberrotatably mounted in said opening, spring means constantly urging saidmember in one direction of rotation, means preventing inadvertent axialwithdrawal of said member from said opening, means limitingrrotation ofsaid member under the influence of said spring means, said member havingan axial opening therein, a post axially slidably but non-rotatablyextendin Fig. 6, r

ing through said opening and supported on said base, and a guard carriedby the upper end of said post and normally overlying said cutter.

3. In a jointer or the like, in combination, a base, a cutter rotatablymounted on said base intermediate the ends thereof, a normally fixedtable supported by said base on one side of said cutter, a verticallyadjustable table supported on said base on the opposite side of saidcutter, means for bodily raising and lowering said second table, saidsecond table having a vertically directed stepped opening therein, acylindrical flanged member complementarily rotatably received in saidopening, means holding said member against inadvertent axial withdrawalfrom said opening, the under face of said flange of said member beingnotched, a stop member fixed with respect to said second tableprojecting into said notch thereby to limit rotational movement of saidmember in said opening, said member having an axial opening therein, apost axially slidably but non-rotatably extending through said axialopening and supported on said base, a guard carried by the upper end ofsaid post in overlying relationship with respect to said cutter, andspring means interposed between said member and said base constantlyurging said member, together with said post and said guard, in apredetermined direction of rotation about the axis of the firstmentioned opening.

4. ln a jointer or the like, in combination, a base, a cutter rotatablymounted on said base intermediate the ends thereof, a normally fixedtable supported by said base on one side of said cutter, a verticallyadjustable table supported on said base on the opposite side of saidcutter, means for bodily raising and lowering said second table, saidsecond table having a vertically directed stepped opening therein, acylindrical flanged member complementarily rotatably received in saidopening, means holding said member against inadvertent axial withdrawalfrom said opening, the under face of said flange of said member beingnotched, a stop member fixed with respect to said second tableprojecting into said notch thereby to limit rotation movement of saidmember in said opening, said member having an axial opening therein, apost axially slidably but non-rotatably extending through said axialopening and supported on said base, a guard carried by the upper end ofsaid post in overlying relationship with respect to said cutter, an armfixed at one end to the lower portion of said member, and spring meanstensioned between the free end of said arm and said base constantlyurging said member in one direction of rotation.

5. In a jointer or the like, in combination, a base, a cutter rotatablymounted on said base intermediate the ends thereof, a normally fixedtable supported by said base on one side of said cutter, a verticallyadjustable table supported on said base on the opposite side of saidcutter, means for bodily raising and lowering said second table, saidsecond table having a vertically directed stepped opening therein, acylindrical flanged member complementarily rotatably received in saidopening, means holding said member against inadvertent axial withdrawalfrom said opening, the under face of said flange of said member beingnotched, a stop member fixed with respect to said second tableprojecting into said notch thereby to limit rotational movement of saidmember in said opening, said member having an axial opening therein, apost axially slidably but non-rotatably extending through said axialopening and supported on said base, a guard carried by the upper end ofsaid post in overlying relationship with respect to said cutter, saidmember projecting downwardly below the lower end of the first mentionedopening, a sleeve surrounding said projecting end, a torsion springsurrounding said sleeve, a screw operatively engaged with one end ofsaid spring and projecting through said sleeve and threading into saidmember to fix both said ends of said spring and said sleeve with respectto said member, the opposite end of said spring bearing against saidbase to maintain said spring under torsion whereby to constantly urgesaid member, post and guard in one direction of rotation.

6. In a jointer or the like, in combination, a base, a cutter rotatablymounted on said base intermediate the ends thereof, a normally fixedtable supported by said base on one side of said cutter, a verticallyadjustable table supported on said base on the opposite side of saidcutter, means for bodily raising and lowering said second table, avertically directed post member, means providing an axially xed butrotatable plug with an opening therein, said post member being slidablein said plug opening but non-rotatable therein so that it rotates withthe plug, a guard xed to the top of said post member above said tables,spring means acting on said plug constantly urging it and said posttoward overlying relationship with respect to said cutter, and means onsaid base forming an abutment that engages and supports said post memberwhereby to maintain said guard in predetermined spaced relationshipabove the rst mentioned table regardless of the vertically adjustedposition of said second table, said post and guard being freely movablein the direction of its length in said plug opening and with respect tosaid abutment.

7. In a jointer or the like, in combination, a base, a cutter rotatablymounted on said base intermediate the ends thereof, a normally fixedtable supported by said base on one side of said cutter, a verticallyadjustable table supported on said base on the opposite side of saidcutter, means for bodily raising and lowering said second table, saidsecond table having a vertically directed opening therein, a memberrotatably mounted in said opening, spring means constantly urging saidmember in one direction of rotation, said member having a through axialopening therein, a post member axially slidably but non-rotatablyreceived in said axial opening, a guard fixed to the upper end of saidpost and normally urged into overlying relationship with respect to saidcutter by said spring means, and fixed means on said base below saidmember forming a stop to support said post member whereby to maintainsaid guard at a constant distance above the first mentioned tableregardless of the vertically adjusted position of said second table.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS519,698 Daly May l5, 1894 767,545 Davidsen Aug. 16, 1904 1,111,671 PeterSept. 22, 1914 1,235,403 Weaver July 3l, i917 1,508,685 Flohr Sept. 16,1924 2,536,627 Copp lan. 2, 1951

